Prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer are the three most common cancers among men. Lung cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, and colorectal cancer are the leading causes of cancer deaths among men. Breast cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer are the three most common cancers among women. Lung cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer are the leading causes of cancer death among women. Example, each year in the United States alone, more than 43,000 people are diagnosed with pancreas cancer. While there have been many advancements in cancer detection and therapy over the last two decades, the current options for early detection and treatment of cancer are limited.
Despite medical advances in cancer detection and survival, there is need for early detection strategies and treatment regimens to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality. Monoclonal antibodies have proven to be efficacious in the improvement of cancer therapies as evidenced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of such agents as ARZERRA® (ofatumumab), AVASTIN® (bevacizumab), BEXXAR® (tositumomab), CAMPATH® (alemtuzumab), ERBITUX® (cetuximab), HERCEPTIN® (trastuzumab), RITUXAN® (rituximab), VECTIBIX® (panitumuamb), and ZEVALIN® (ibritumomab). Many other monoclonal antibodies are currently in clinical trials as monotherapy or in combination with other therapies, showing promising results for the treatment of cancer.